


Shadowed Past

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: NaMi [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Abandonment, Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Backstory, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Past Abuse, Serious Injuries, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-08-28 05:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16717066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: When Natsu is caught in the crossfire of a botched spell, he finds himself reverting to his four year old self with no recollection of the mage he's become. Whilst the rest of the guild are confronted with the reality of his early childhood, and they find themselves struggling to protect Natsu from both his past and enemies in the present.





	1. Chapter 1

       Natsu stifled a grin as he heard his teammates complaining about the walk under the breath, apparently forgetting yet again just how sharp his hearing was. To be fair to them, they had been following the path through the woods for a while now, the mist that had rolled in when they had left Magnolia that morning making them move slower than usual for fear of missing anything or getting lost. Still, it was a blessed relief from the jobs that forced him to brave transport, so he was finding it hard to be properly sympathetic, which was why he had taken the lead, so they couldn’t see that he was enjoying this. Happy had joined him for a while, just as at home here as he was after all the time they’d spent exploring when they were younger, but he’d fallen back to talk with Gray at some point, leaving Natsu to guide the group with his enhanced senses.

    Yawning, and vaguely wondering if Erza would whack him if he suggested they stop for food soon, he almost missed the shift in the air. It was faint. Something that most people would be completely ignorant of and he froze, his nose twitching as he scanned the trees surrounding them, for the first time cursing the mist as he realised that he could barely make anything out past the first row of trees. Behind him the others had fallen silent, watching him carefully as he turned to scan the other side of the path, having been saved by his heightened senses too many times to discard them now. Especially when they were in an area that was mostly unfamiliar to the rest of them.

    Erza opened her mouth to ask what he had picked up on, her magic already stirring in preparation for a fight, but Natsu held up a hand to silence her as he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. He spared her a brief glance, but then his focus shifted, nose twitching again as he turned back to the first side, leaning forward as sparks danced around his fingers for a moment. _There…_ a faint noise, something that most people would have attributed to animals scurrying around or the low breeze moving through the trees, confirmed what his nose was telling him, and as a twig snapped, deafening in the silence that had fallen he leapt into action.

“Everyone down!” He roared, not bothering with stealth at this point, and the words had barely left his mouth before the trees around them were lit up by a barrage of spells. Erza and Gray had immediately dropped to the ground, the latter yanking Happy down by the tail just in time, but Lucy was just a hair slower, and Natsu snarled as he realised, she was directly in the path of several spells and that she wasn’t going to be able to dodge them in time. Without hesitation, cursing himself for not telling them to duck a few seconds earlier, he sprang towards her, already knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to dodge all the spell and protect her. Sure enough, just as he collided with her, his weight and momentum forcing her down to the ground, he felt several spells impact heavily with his back, the force of it sending him tumbling forward with a shout of pain.

    He thought that was going to be it, his back throbbing painfully as he landed roughly against the trunk of a nearby tree, but then the world around him erupted in golden light. It was warm against his skin, almost too warm, and then he was screaming. Twisting and turning, as it felt like every inch of his body was being torn asunder, a sickening fire sweeping through him, and he was vaguely aware of crying out, begging for it to stop, before his thoughts tumbled down into darkness.

*

     The others had been forced to duck down, burying their faces to protect themselves from the explosion of light that had followed the initial flurry of spells, fear engulfing them as they heard Natsu scream. Erza tried to move, pulling her hands away from her eyes so that she could see where he was, but at once the light burned her, and she bit her lip, biting back a shout of pain as she ducked her head down once more, having glimpsed nothing but molten gold filling the air. Natsu was crying out, pleading with someone or something to stop, the desperation and pain cutting them to the core, but the silence that fell abruptly a few seconds later was a thousand times worse.

    As soon as they felt the magic receding, they were up and moving, ignoring the potential danger still lingering in the trees around them for a moment, utterly focus on Natsu. However, the sight that greeted them when they turned towards where they had heard the Dragon-slayer last had them faltering, freezing in place for a moment. They had been expecting to see him on the ground, injured, possibly unconscious. What, they hadn’t expected to find themselves staring at was the sprawled form of a tiny child in the space where their Dragon-slayer had been only seconds before, and it was only the familiar nest of salmon-coloured hair, and the distinctive scaled scarf around the boy’s neck that told them that this was Natsu.

“NATSU?!” Happy was the first to shake of his paralysis, darting across to the unconscious child with a frightened mew, his actions shaking the others out of their shock just in time to hear movement in the trees around them. Remembering that they weren’t alone, they immediately switched to defensive mode, sharing frantic glances as they realised that Natsu was utterly defenceless in his current state.

“Lucy, Happy, stay with Natsu and keep him safe,” Erza ordered, knowing that there was no way either of them would let anything else happen to the Dragon-slayer. Lucy nodded in understanding as she dashed after Happy, one hand already resting on her keys as she dropped down beside him, hovering protectively over him even as Happy landed on his other side, and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes as she scanned the trees that promised pain to anyone trying to get near him. With a quick glance at Gray, Erza gestured for him to circle around into the trees as she began to do the same, and without a word the Ice mage obeyed, moving off in the opposite direction, although his gaze lingered for a moment on the unconscious child lying between Lucy and Happy.

*

     Gray and Erza had barely faded from sight before Lucy reached out and carefully turned Natsu over, trembling as she realised just how small he was at the moment, her eyes widening with horror and no small amount of anger as she took in the damage, he currently sported. His face and torso were littered with bruises, most of which seemed to be of various age and colour, and here and there she could see shallow cuts standing out vividly against his pale skin, and she exchanged worried looks with Happy. Although they had no idea exactly what spells had managed to hit him, or how many, she was well enough equated with his natural resistance to damage to doubt that they could be responsible for all of this, and he hadn’t been injured before all of this happened.

  _So, what the hell happened to him?_

    The contradiction between the still, silent child in front of her, and the endlessly energetic Dragon-slayer who had been bounding along in front of them, poorly hiding his excitement over the fact they were walking for once was shocking, and it scared her.

“Natsu?” She called quietly, keeping her voice down as she became aware of the sounds of battle that were drifting towards them from deeper in the trees, telling her that Erza and Gray had most likely found their prey. When there was no immediate response, she gently eased Natsu into her lap, tapping his cheek to try and elicit a reaction, but Natsu didn’t stir in the slightest. Not even a twitch to show that he was aware of their presence and Lucy frowned, starting to fear that there was more to this than what met the eye, and she clutched him closer, feeling as though she needed to cling on so that he couldn’t slip away from them.

“He’s so small,” Happy whispered as he pressed closer, laying a trembling paw on Natsu’s chest, needing the reassuring feel of his heartbeat, although it did nothing to ease the concern in his eyes as he gazed at the Dragon-slayer. Lucy nodded in agreement, not speaking as she glanced down, Natsu was tiny, and it unnerved her to see him like that, looking so vulnerable and fragile, as though he could shatter at any moment. Somehow, she had always seen him as always been strong and undefeatable, and even when she’d tried to imagine what he must’ve been like as a child, she had always expected to see that same strength and fire. However, the child currently lying in her lap was a stark contradiction to those imaginings, and she tightened her hold on him, overwhelmed by the need to keep him safe. “Lucy…”

    Whatever, Happy had been trying to say was lost as they both heard movement in the trees behind them, and they shared panicked looks, before twisting towards the sound. There was a rustling noise, and then a muttered curse, before branches were shoved aside as a strange man stepped into the open, his gaze clearly focused on the child in her lap, and Lucy moved to block Natsu from view, Happy mimicking her movement. Her hand clenched around her key pouch, fingers already seeking out the key that she wanted as the man stepped forward, and she could feel the magic building around him with each step. He was too close, and Lucy had just opened her mouth, ready to summon help, when the man froze. Literally, she realised as she belatedly spied the azure light around his ankles as ice crept up his legs, coming to a halt just below his knees once it was clear he couldn’t escape from that.

    He snarled, looking panicked for a moment before his gaze locked onto Natsu once more, and the air in front of him shimmered as golden letters began to form. Lucy recognised it as a form of Solid Script, and she thrust her key out in front of her, braced to take the attack, but before he could release the spell, Erza appeared, stepping between them and levelling her sword at the mage. The murderous expression on her face would have made much braver people freeze, and he immediately released his magic, throwing his hands up in the air in a gesture of surrender just as Gray stepped out of the trees behind him. The Ice mage looked just as dangerous as Erza at that moment, especially when he glanced towards Lucy and her charge, his expression darkening as he realised that Natsu was still unconscious, and the air dropped sharply in temperature as his attention shifted back to their prisoner.

“Lucy, how is Natsu doing?” Erza was the one to break the tense silence, tilting her head so that she could look at them while keeping one eye firmly at her captive. Not that he seemed to have any intention of moving at the moment, his face a mask of terror as he stared at the sword pointed directly at his chest.

“I’m not sure,” Lucy answered uncertainly, finally releasing her hold on her keys with a sigh of relief, knowing that there was no way the mage was getting near Natsu with all of them here. “Besides the obvious…” She swallowed, still unable to believe how tiny this version of her best friend was, and her voice hardened as she glanced back at the mage. “There’s also a lot of injuries – cuts and bruises, that I don’t think could have come from the spells that hit him, and he still hasn’t woken up.” There was no hiding her concern about the latter point, and beside her Happy sniffled. He was barely paying attention to the conversation or their prisoner, his attention riveted on his partner.

“What did you do to him?!” Erza snarled, absorbing Lucy’s words and whirling on her prisoner, her eyes glinting as she stared him down and he blanched at the rage in her gaze. For a moment she thought that was going to be enough, as he didn’t seem the type to be able to hold out under the threat of violence, but she felt her heart sink as the terror was replaced with confusion as he glanced over her shoulder at the de-aged Dragon-slayer.  There was something about it that made him think that it was genuine, and she exchanged worried looks with Gray before shifting her attention back to her captive, needing to hear the words. “Answer me.”

“I don’t know! I’ve never done that spell before!” He babbled in terror, gesticulating wildly as he caught their disbelieving looks, although Erza’s sinking feeling was intensifying, even before his next words. “And it looked as though more than one spell hit him, so they could’ve reacted with one another and morphed into something…worse.” He squeaked in terror as Erza’s eyes narrowed, barely daring to breathe as he realised that her sword had inched closer, to the point where it would only take a little more pressure for her to draw blood – his blood.

“Undo it.” It wasn’t a request, and her eyes and voice were dark with the promise of painful retribution if he didn’t immediately comply with her demands. However, she was watching his every move, and she caught the nervous tic in his face and the blossoming panic in his eyes, and she knew even before he spoke that she wasn’t going to like his reply.

“I don’t know how to.” Even though she had been half-expecting that answer, it didn’t stop her gasp of dismay, which was echoed by the other three, and they exchanged glanced that was equal parts panic and anger. Happy was the worst, and he looked near tears as he huddled closer to Natsu. A sight that did little to ease Erza’s temper, and she growled as she glanced briefly at Natsu before she turned back to the Mage.

“Then you’re coming back with us.” Her fist flew out even as she spoke, not giving him a chance to protest or try anything, and the man collapsed unconscious, held up at an awkward angle by the ice that was trapping his legs. There was a momentary pause, and then Gray’s magic swirled, releasing their captive’s legs, before creeping up to bind his hands tightly together, the ice deliberately biting into his skin.  Erza nodded to the Ice Mage in thanks, finally sheathing her weapon as she moved across to join Lucy and Happy, the anger draining from her expression as she stared down at the child in Lucy’s arms. “Oh Natsu,” she murmured, taking in the new damage marring the tiny body, and she had to take a deep breath and then another to stop herself from turning around and beating the hell out of the man responsible for this mess.

_If only we’d been more alert or reacted faster…_

    That wasn’t strictly fair, because they all been keeping an eye on their surroundings. But it hadn’t been enough, and she knew that if it weren’t for Natsu, then they could have all ended up in a similar situation to the one he was in now, and it made it all the more urgent for them to fix this because they owed him that much.

*

     They had been reluctant to move Natsu before he woke, not sure what frame of mind he was going to be in, and they had settled in to wait. The two girls sitting with Happy and Natsu, while Gray hovered nearby, one eye on Natsu and the other on their prisoner to make sure that he didn’t try and slip away while they were distracted.

“He’s waking up,” Lucy called a few minutes after they’d all got settled, looking down as she felt a brief movement in her arms, carefully keeping her voice low so as not to startle her charge as she felt another small movement from the Dragon-slayer. At once the others moved closer, and Erza swiftly requipped into her casual clothes and banished her sword as she shifted forward. If the spell had affected Natsu’s mind as well, she didn’t want to risk scaring the child by appearing in armour and carrying weapons, aware that she could be an intimidating sight at times. They were all gathered around Lucy when Natsu began to stir properly, his face twisting in discomfort as the pain from his injuries registered, and they were caught surprise when his eyes didn’t inch open but snapped open.

    There was a brief pause, no one daring to move or react, but then Natsu was up and moving as he leapt out of Lucy’s lap with a fearful expression on his face, tiny hands coming up instinctively to shield him, even though they were shaking wildly.

“Natsu…” Happy mewed in distress as he stared at his partner, unable to recall the Dragon-slayer look so terrified before, and certainly not because of them and he inched closer, wanting…needing to comfort Natsu.

“It’s okay we won’t hurt you,” Lucy murmured once she’d managed to find her voice, shocked by the reaction, heart aching as she took in the fear written across the too pale features. She exchanged a quick glance with the other two who stepped back slightly so that they weren’t crowing him, although she didn’t complain when Happy shook his head, adamantly refusing to move away from his partner even though Natsu was eyeing the Exceed with as much wariness as the rest of them. “You’re okay, and you’re safe with us, okay?” Lucy added, smiling at the child as he slowly lowered his arms so that he could see them clearly, although he made no effort to move any closer to them and they could all see the tension in the small body as he studied them with wide eyes. As though he was ready to run at any second or protect himself from a blow. That, along with the fact that there was no trace of recognition in the wary eyes watching them, was enough to confirm that the spells had caused more than cosmetic changes to their friend.

“Hey there,” Erza was the first to move, greeting him quietly as she moved into a crouched position so that she wasn’t towering above him, wincing as even that movement made him draw back in alarm, and her eyes narrowed for a moment. However, she was quick to force herself to relax, not wanting to add to his fear. “My name is Erza, and this is Lucy, Happy and Gray,” she explained with a soft smile, pointing to them each in turn before focusing on Natsu once more, watching as his gaze darted between the others before nervously focusing on her once more. “Can you tell me your name?”

“N-Natsu,” the child stuttered out after a few minutes, and they all shared a brief moment of relief that at least he remembered not that much. But the fear that they could hear so clearly in his voice was unnerving, especially to Erza and Gray who had known him since childhood and had never heard him sound like that. While Happy had tears on his cheeks as he stared at the Dragon-slayer, devastated that not only was Natsu clearly just as afraid of him as he was the others but that he didn’t recognise him despite their closeness.

“Natsu huh? That’s a nice name,” Erza replied with a warm smile, having a brief flashback to her first meeting with Natsu years before when she’d said exactly the same thing to him. Her expression falling slightly as she contemplated the differences between the Natsu she had met back then, and the child currently in front of her. _What happened to you Natsu_? Had this always been part of her friend, and they had just missed it?

“How old are you Natsu?” Lucy asked, taking over as she realised that Erza needed a moment to collect herself after catching a glimpse of the other girl’s expression. Natsu’s attention immediately switched to her, and his nose screwed up for a long moment before he slowly held out his hand and silently lifted four fingers. “Four, you’re four years old?” A tiny nod and she smiled at him, struggling to ignore just how badly his hands were still shaking, before shooting an anxious look at the others. To Gray and Erza, his words at least helped to explain why he didn’t seem to remember any of them, as he had bee older than that when he had first arrived at the guild.

“Natsu,” Gray began, waiting until the Dragon-slayer slowly turned to face him, struggling not to react to the fear that he could see in the eyes that hesitantly rose to meet his. “What is the last thing that you remember?” He asked, making sure to keep his voice quiet so that he didn’t scare Natsu even more, but for a terrifying moment, he thought that he had failed because the expressive, olive eyes had gone completely blank as though Natsu had slipped away from them. Then Natsu blinked, and his eyes were shimmering with tears, and Gray blanched, shooting a panicked glance at the others, half expecting Erza to be glaring at him for scaring Natsu. Instead, she was focused intently on Natsu with a worried frown, and Gray swallowed a sigh of relief before turning back to Natsu.

“M-Mama left me! She told me to g-go away,” Natsu replied tearfully, once he had managed to find his voice again, sniffling and reaching up to rub at his eyes, only to come up short as his body began to sway. “S-She…” He trailed off, and realising what was about to happen, Gray sprang forward before the others could even react, barely managing to catch Natsu before he could hit the ground. There was a moment of relief that he hadn’t been injured further, but it was short-lived when they realised he had passed out again, slumped limply in Gray’s arms.

“I’ve got him,” Gray murmured, scooping Natsu up into his arms, and shifting him so that the little boy was cradled softly against him and offering Happy who had also darted forward what he hoped was a reassuring look. “Let’s just hope that Gramps or Levy will be able to fix this mess and return him to normal,” he added more grimly than he had intended as he glanced down at the pink-haired child. _What happened to you back then? Who did this to you Natsu? And why?_ He wondered as Natsu’s agonised words echoed through his mind, and he exchanged a furious glance with Erza before she sighed and shook her head, scowling as she requipped her armour before moving across to pick up their captive with unusual roughness.

“She will!” Lucy replied with more than a hint of desperation, ‘ _she has to’_ she added silently as she glanced at the desolate expression on Happy’s face, before looking at Natsu once more – _how could anyone have abandoned him?_ He was one of the kindest people she had ever met, unable to forget the grin on his face when he had invited her to join Fairy Tail, and he had his cute moments despite his chaotic nature and age, even if he did drive her up the wall most of the time. Looking at him now, it was impossible to understand how anyone could walk away from him, let alone hurt him like this. _Natsu._ Her heart ached for her friend, as she thought about how Igneel had also left him, even if Natsu himself had never really seemed to blame the Dragon for that, and her eyes were stinging as she realised that it was no wonder that he clung so desperately to their Fairy Tail family.

“I hope so,” Erza murmured softly, not sure what any of them were going to do if this couldn’t be fixed. “Come on let’s get him home.”

****

     It was late evening by the time they returned home, the guild as noisy and busy as usual for that time of night, and the well-lit building was a welcome sight after the tense walk home. It had seemed to take forever, especially with Natsu not stirring in the slightest, and it was only the fact that they had taken a job so close to home for once that gave them any relief during the trip back.

“Master! Levy!” Erza shouted the moment she stepped through the door, the anxiousness evident in her voice drawing everyone’s attention, and the room immediately fell quiet as they took in the sight of the heavily bound prisoner that she was pushing roughly ahead of her. However, what caught their attention, even more, were the expression of concern on the three mages’ faces…wait three? They all did a double-take as they finally noticed the absence of the Dragon-slayer who was usually the first to bounce inside and announce their return, worry beginning to build until their eyes fell on the child, they had just realised that Gray was cradling tightly. A small, pink-haired child.

     The quiet, became a stunned silence, one that spread rapidly through the guild as alarm gave way to fear and concern, especially given how grim the rest of Natsu’s team seemed, and no one dared to break the silence as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing.

“Is that Natsu?” Mirajane was the first to find her voice, blue eyes wide with shock as she hurried towards them, never once taking her eyes off the child in Gray’s arms. Her expression darkening with each step she took until it was reminiscent of her ‘she-devil’ personality as she drew close enough to get a proper look at the damage covering the tiny child, and several nearby mages, including Macao, began to edge away as her magic bled into the air around her.

“Aye,” Happy replied weakly as he hovered above Gray, worried eyes fixated on his partner, with damp patches on his cheeks showing that he had been crying. He’d wanted to be the one to carry Natsu home, needing to feel as though he was helping in some way, but he’d had to agree with the others that it was too much of a risk. If Natsu had woken mid-flight, he wouldn’t have understood what was going on, and if he’d panicked, then Happy could’ve hurt the Dragon-slayer by accident or risked scaring him even further. That was something that Happy was desperate to avoid, wanting to make sure that Natsu… _this Natsu…_ had no more reasons to be frightened of him.

“What happened to him?” Makarov demanded as he arrived, pushing his way through the gathered mages, his concern lending him speed, although he came to a halt as he got a proper look at Natsu for the first time. For a moment he just stared at the unconscious child, anger, concern and finally fear flickering across his features, and they all caught the way his hand rose, stretching out towards Natsu and lingering in the air while he got his emotions back under control. As he finally lowered it, he turned towards Erza, lifting an eyebrow and silently demanding answers.

    Erza immediately shoved her captive forward, resting her sword against his shoulder and lightly tapping the side of his neck to remind him to behave. Not that she thought he would try anything as he seemed to have realised that he was now the focus of several deadly glares from their guildmates who had started to connect the dots. “This idiot.” She punctuated her words with two, quick taps of her sword, not enough to draw blood but a warning. “Managed to hit Natsu with a botched spell, that was also complicated by the presence of other spells, and he doesn’t have a clue about what he did or how to fix it.”

    Levy who had followed Makarov across to find out what was happening, and why she’d been called for, also glared at the captive Mage for a moment before she inched closer to peer at Natsu with curious eyes, her mind visibly racing as she glanced between them.

“So, the spell turned him into a child? Was that the only effect?” She asked, slipping into research mode as it dawned on her what she was needed for, glancing at Erza and Lucy for answers, even as she started running over possible spells in her mind. It was a worrying number, and she wondered whether she would need to contact Freed for help in solving this, as he had helped her with some similar projects in the past.

“He’s told us that he’s four years old at the moment. And he didn’t remember any of us, although we’re not entirely sure exactly what he does remember,” Lucy was the one to reply, her face pale as she glanced at Natsu. While she knew that they would need to tell Makarov about what Natsu had said about what he remembered last, she didn’t think the Dragon-slayer would appreciate them blurting it out in front of the entire guild. “He’s also injured, but we don’t know where the injuries came from as they’re not ones that should have been caused by the spells that hit him as far as we can tell.” Gray had tensed with her words, his arms tightening protectively around his charge.

“All right let’s get him upstairs for now,” Makarov ordered after contemplating what they’d told him, sensing that there was something that they hadn’t said, but trusting that they would’ve had a good reason for holding it back as there was no way they would risk Natsu’s health pointlessly. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and wishing that he could block out the sight of Natsu’s injuries, and he had to take a deep breath before he turned to look at Erza and Levy. “Can you two get to work to see if we can figure out how to reverse what was done to him?” It was urgent that they resolve this situation as soon as possible, and not just because it hurt to see Natsu in this state. Erza looked conflicted for a minute, glancing between Natsu and her captive, before her shoulders slumped and she nodded.

“Yes, Master.”

       She glanced at Natsu once more, making no effort to hide her concern, before she rounded on her captive with a look that didn’t bode well for his health if he failed to comply with her demands. And there was a soft yelp as she shoved him forward, roughly shepherding him after Levy who had already made a beeline towards the library.

    Behind them Mira took a deep breath to calm herself as she realised that her magic was still bleeding out into the air around her, before moving to tail after Lucy, Gray and Happy as they followed Makarov towards the stairs. She gestured for her brother to watch the bar, knowing that her help would be needed upstairs, as she had the most experience of working in the infirmary when Porlyusica wasn’t around, although she had a feeling that Makarov would call for the cantankerous healer at some point. Doubting that any of them were willing to take a risk with Natsu in his current state, and her magic flared briefly as she hurried to catch up with them.

****

    It took them over an hour to tend to Natsu’s injuries, although thankfully none of them had been too severe, despite how they looked on the tiny body. Still, they had taken their time, not wanting to risk missing anything and they had made careful records of every cut and bruise, weighing and measuring Natsu when they realised that it seemed as though he hadn’t eaten properly for some time. Each number and detail they noted down, only adding to their concern and fury, curiosity eating them alive as they wondered yet again just what had happened to their friend.

     Once his wounds were cleaned and dressed, Mira and Lucy had gently bathed him, redressing him in one of Makarov’s shirts, although even that drowned him, making him look even smaller than he was. Then he was tucked gently into one of the beds, the enchantments to raise railings that hadn’t been used since Romeo had been really small activated to make sure he wouldn’t fall off, as they tried not to panic about the fact that he hadn’t stirred once during their ministrations.

"We need to keep word of this quiet," Makarov said thoughtfully as he gazed out of the infirmary window, his eyes narrowed in thought as he studied the town stretching out around them, sighing before he glanced at Mira who was stood beside him. "Natsu has made plenty of enemies, and if they knew how vulnerable he is at the moment they could try something," his gaze drifted across to the bed that held their de-aged Dragon-slayer and then to the two mages sat attentively beside him and the worried blue exceed curled up at the end of the bed. It was touching to see the closeness between the four of them, even Gray seemed to have instantly have put aside all of the tensions and rivalry that usually lay between the two boys. Although he would much rather have seen them brawling unnecessarily in the bar, rather than be facing such a potentially dangerous situation.

"Agreed, and he can't be left alone," Mira added quietly, her own gaze also fixed on Natsu, the darkness that had appeared when she’d first laid eyes on the Dragon-slayer still lingering in her eyes, although thankfully her magic had settled down to an agitated background him. "Although I don't think that will be a problem with those three and Erza." She indicated  Lucy and Gray who hadn’t taken their eyes of Natsu once since he’d been brought up here and the Exceed who was lightly clutching the Fire mage’s leg through the blanket and there was a small smile on her lips as she studied them. However, the older wizard knew that she would also be sticking close to Natsu until the situation was resolved. The take-over mage had always looked out for Natsu, and he knew that the loss of Lisanna had brought them closer with the Dragon-slayer helping both Mira and Elfman deal with their grief. Besides which her fury at the extent of the injuries that had been inflicted on the Dragon-slayer had almost seen her alternate personality make an appearance more than once while they were taking care of him, and he couldn't help but pity anyone that so much as looked wrong at Natsu in his current state.

"Let's just hope Levy and Erza can find a way to cancel the spell soon," Makarov said grimly, at that moment he was feeling every bit his age. Spells of this sort were always complicated, and with the fact that it had been poorly cast and had conflicted with other spells could mean that it was irreversible. Of even greater concern, at least from his stance as a pseudo-parent to his brats, was what Natsu had told his team-mates before passing out. This Natsu was younger than the one that had joined their guild, and Natsu had never really told them anything about his childhood before Igneel except that the Dragon had found him alone in the woods, and it worried Makarov that those secrets were now coming to the fore without the Dragon-slayer’s awareness and consent. But more than that, it meant that they could be dealing with a very different child from the one they had raised.

_Natsu…_


	2. Chapter 2

    It had been two days since they’d brought Natsu back to the guild in his de-aged state. Two long, tension-filled days, as the Dragon-slayer hadn’t stirred at all in that, not even when they had been tending to his wounds, and the continued unconsciousness was only adding to their worries. It didn’t help either, that so far there had been no progress in working out precisely what spells he’d been hit with during the ambush, or the full details of what the magic had done to him. At the moment Levy and Freed who had been called in to help as soon as he’d returned from a job were locked in the library with the Mage responsible for the botched spell, interrogating him as they trawled through every record in the hope of finding something. At the moment, and until Natsu woke up and gave them some more information, all their hopes were resting on what the pair could find.

    The infirmary had also become the home base for the rest of Natsu’s team during this time, and it was rare for any of them to stray from his side, and even when they did it was short-lived. Part of it was because even without Makarov’s dire warning, they were all aware of how vulnerable Natsu was in his current state. However, even if that hadn’t been the case, they would never have abandoned their teammate, especially not with the memory of how he’d acted when he’d first woken etched into their minds. It was something they doubted they would ever be able to forget, and the hoped that having Natsu awake and safe, would at least ease it, and so they sat with him, watching and waiting for him to come back to them. Sometimes they were quiet, overwhelmed by what had happened and the danger to their friend, other times they would talk to him about the guild, about future jobs, or telling him children’s tales.

*

    It was late evening, the sky outside the infirmary window slowly making the transition to inky darkness when they finally saw movement. It was Lucy who spotted it first as she had been sitting closest at the time, holding onto a tiny hand as she listened to Happy explaining the ins and outs of fishing to the unconscious child.

“He’s waking up,” she called softly, silencing Happy who immediately turned to focus on Natsu, and catching the attention of the others scattered around the room. She leant in, watching him intently, vaguely aware of Gray and Erza moving across to join them at the end of the bed, while Mira and Makarov who had come to check on his progress stayed back, not wanting to overwhelm him with too many new faces.

    Tiny fingers brushed against hers as Natsu’s nose wrinkled, and she was hard pressed not to squeal at the sight, especially as it was the first sign of animation since they had brought him home. The last two days weighed heavily on her.

“Natsu?” Happy called quietly, leaning over his partner. They knew Natsu was awake then because he flinched at the closeness of the voice, and Happy took a step back, tail drooping as he realised that Natsu was still frightened of them…of him. It was a few minutes though, before Natsu gave himself away, nose scrunching further before his eyes inched open. It was like the woods all over again, as a second later he was scrambling upright, pushing the covers back with frantic hands as he pressed himself against the headboard, hunkering down into a small ball as he realised that he was surrounded by people, and more importantly people that he didn’t know.

“Natsu,” she said softly, struggling not to raise her voice, worried that he would hurt himself further. It was almost painful to see how small he could make himself, almost as though he had practice doing so, and she pushed that thought away, knowing that she would lose her temper if she focused on that train of thought for too long. Instead, she focused on watching Natsu, forcing a smile when he peeked out from between his eyes, studying her with a mix of fear and confusion. It took a moment, but finally, she was rewarded by a spark of recognition, and she was caught off guard a moment later when she found herself with an armful of trembling child. Recovering, she wrapped both arms around him, surprised and touched that he had chosen to come to her out of all of them. “Shh,” she soothed as he shuddered against her. “You’re okay, and you’re safe here.” She added, repeating the same reassurances she had given him before, hoping that eventually, he would believe them, even as she shot an alarmed glance at the others who were watching everything with wide-eyes and pained expressions.

“W-where am I?” Natsu finally asked a few minutes later, his timid voice breaking her heart anew, as did the fact that he still hadn’t removed his face from where it was buried against her shoulder. Lucy felt a twinge of grief at the realisation that he didn’t realise that he was at home and that he wouldn’t even remember or know that this was home, and she could see her feelings reflected on the others’ faces. It was made worse by the fact that Natsu was always the one that made sure that everyone, both outsiders and guild members alike knew that it was their home, their family, and for him to have forgotten that…

“You’re at Fairy Tail,” Lucy replied, hoping to see some spark of recognition at the name, but there was nothing and biting back a sigh, she added quietly. “It’s a wizarding guild.” She was utterly unprepared for the reaction that greeted the words that would have reassured the old Natsu. As soon as she said the word ‘wizard’, Natsu had stiffened, tension radiating through every inch of his body and confused at his reaction, she unconsciously loosened her hold on him, peering down at him in concern.

“N-no,” Natsu whispered, voice cracking and breaking. “No…nonono. I’m not bad. I’m not a wizard. I’m not bad.” He descended into frantic babbling as he pulled away from her, retreating back into his previous huddle, only this time it seemed as though he was trying to make himself even small. He kept repeating the words as though they were a mantra that could protect him, hysteria bleeding into his voice and Lucy could only look to the others for help, stunned by the reaction and unsure of how to calm him, as she didn’t even understand what had upset him.

“Natsu! Natsu, it’s okay.” Mira was the first to react, quickly pushing her way through to the side of the bed, ignoring the indignant look Erza shot at him as she shoved the Requip mage of the way. When her soft words received no reaction from the panicking child, she scooped the terrified child up into her arms, ignoring his feeble attempts to fight her, before wrapping her arms protectively around him. “Shh, it’s okay you’re not bad, you’re not bad,” she chanted softly, moving away from the others, and gently rocking Natsu as she continued to whisper soothingly to him. It was unnerving to realise just how small and light he was in her arms, and to hear the broken mantra being whispered against her shoulder, and she hugged him tighter. _Natsu…_

 The others watched, almost enchanted by the sight as gradually Natsu began to calm under the combined influence of her soft voice and the gentle rocking. For Gray and Erza it was a somewhat surreal sight because they could remember the original interaction between Mira and Natsu when they had been younger, Mira mistrusting of the boy that had so quickly gained her sister’s trust and Natsu having found another person to challenge.

     It was nearly ten minutes later when Mira slowly ceased her pacing, although she continued the gentle rocking motion even as she peered down at Natsu who was now quiet in her arms. A tender smile spreading across her face as she realised that he had fallen asleep once more, his face tucked against her shoulder, his warm breaths tickling her skin. “He’s asleep, poor thing,” she murmured, looking up to find the others still watching her. She made no move to return him to the bed just yet, instead continuing to cradle him, rocking him as she reached up to dry the tear tracks that were visible on pale cheeks, although she did drift back towards the others now that Natsu wasn’t awake to worry about their proximity.

“What was that all about?” Gray asked as he stared at Natsu, unable to hide his concern as he recalled the sheer terror the Dragon-slayer had shown just at the idea of being in a wizarding guild, and his desperate denial that he wasn’t a Mage. Natsu loved being a mage, he always had as long as Gray had known him, and he had always been proud of his magic from the moment he set foot in Fairy Tail, and the Ice mage could never recall him showing the slightest bit of fear towards his magic. Not even when he was pushed above and beyond his limits, achieving feats that should have been impossible. Natsu had always taken it in his stride.

“I have no idea,” Erza muttered, staring at Natsu and partially wishing that she had been the one to go and comfort him, although she didn’t have any idea where to start. Watching as Mira soothed Natsu when as he stirred slightly, she had to admit that the other girl was better suited to it, especially at the moment when Erza was fighting the urge to go downstairs and take out her rage on their prisoner. It was only the fact that they still needed his help to fix this whole mess that was holding her back, and she knew that when… _if…_ Natsu was back to normal then nothing was going to stop her from making him feel some of the pain he had inflicted on the Dragon-slayer.

    Makarov had been caught just as off guard as the rest by Natsu’s reaction. He remembered their first meeting with perfect clarity, the bright-eyed child who was fascinated by his magic, and who was more than willing to show off his own magic that his ‘Dad’ had taught him. There had never been any reservation about using magic or being around it, and it hadn’t taken long to convince Natsu to join the guild. _So, what changed?_ The Dragon-slayer had never really spoken about his life before Igneel, but Makarov had brushed it off as Natsu being too focused on Igneel and his disappearance to care about what had happened before that. A decision he was regretting now.

“Has Natsu ever said anything to any of you about his life before Igneel?” He asked suddenly, wondering if Natsu would have possibly spoken about that time with his friends, particularly as they had been confronted by several of their pasts already. However, that brief hope died a swift death as they all turned to look blankly at him, and even Happy shook his head when Makarov glanced at him, and he sighed. “Something must have happened back then, something that made him like this.” _And something that Igneel must’ve healed…_ He realised with a pang, as it dawned on him that there might be more to Natsu’s devotion to the Dragon that had raised him than any of them realised.

    Unfortunately, that didn’t help them with the current situation, and he grimaced as he realised that their only option was going to be to try and get answers from Natsu himself. Although how they were going to do that if even the mention of mages and magic was enough to send him into hysterics was another question, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling every inch his age.

“I’m sure that he’ll tell us more when he’s ready,” Mira spoke up as she resumed her gentle pacing around the room. Her attention focused on the child who had settled in her arms once more, a sad smile tugging at her lips as she brushed a lock of hair out of his face before glancing up at Makarov. “He must already trust us a little, if only on a subconscious level, otherwise he would never have reached out to Lucy or allowed me to settle him. I think that as long as we don’t charge directly into the topic as we did today, he’ll open up with time.”

“I know,” Gray muttered, looking at Natsu. “But, do we really have the time to wait for that to happen?” He wasn’t happy with the idea of pushing the issue, doubting that any of them would forget Natsu’s reaction any time soon, but he was unable to forget the bigger situation or the fact that as long as Natsu was like this, he was potentially in danger. “If this issue is contributing to him being stuck in this form, then we need to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. Besides, if he’s really this scared by magic, then there’s a chance he might try and run away.”  He was dismayed at his own words, unable to imagine Natsu ever running away from something, least of all from them and it was clear the others shared his dismay, particularly Happy, who looked anything but his namesake at the moment as he watched Mira pacing.

“Gray does have a point,” Erza conceded reluctantly as she also looked at Natsu, hating the idea that Natsu, no matter what form he was in, might ever feel the need to try and leave Fairy Tail. It filled her with an icy dread to imagine what the guild would be like without him, and she shivered, before adding grimly. “And it’s not as though we can shelter him from it completely. There’s always magic being used here, and that’s just too many potential triggers for us to protect him from.”

“Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be safe to move him elsewhere either,” Makarov replied with a frown as he considered their words, his gaze wandering around the group, lingering longest on the tiny child. “Natsu has to remain here, regardless of the other issues, because he’s just too vulnerable in this form and there is too much risk of someone going after him.” It wouldn’t be the first time someone had made a threat against the Dragon-slayer, but before they had always been assured by the fact that Natsu was more than capable of protecting himself. They didn’t have that now, and it scared him to think about this Natsu facing a threat like that. “I also think that Mira’s approach would be better,” he continued quickly to distract himself, glancing across at Mira and biting back a strained smile at the sight of her fussing over Natsu. “I agree that if we push too hard, even with the urgency of the situation, then we might force him away from us.”

_And then we could lose him completely…_

“Then what should we do?” Lucy demanded. She could see sense in all the arguments, but so far, they had only come up with problems rather than solutions, and she at least, needed to feel as though they were doing something. “We can keep him up here and away for magic for the time being, especially as he is still healing, and I’m sure people would agree not to do any magic if they visited. But once he’s on the mend, he’s going to want to go beyond this room, and we can’t hold him here indefinitely.” Natsu hated being trapped indoors, he became antsy after just a day or two of bad weather, and more than once he had dragged her out in the pouring rain just because it had become too much. Besides, the last thing they needed was Natsu thinking that they were keeping him locked up because there was no way he would trust them if that happened.

“It’ll be a few days at least before that is a concern,” Gray pointed out, although he didn’t look comforted by his own words. “We might have found a solution by then, or at least found out a little bit more about his past.”

“Maybe…”

“You know,” Gray cut across her as he looked at Makarov. “As long as we can keep him away from magic, and remember not to talk about it, it might be possible to at least get him to talk about other things.” _Like how his ‘mama left him’,_ the Ice mage added silently, his frown deepening as he remembered how terrified and heartbroken Natsu had sounded when he said those words. He’d always been a little curious as to how Igneel had just found Natsu in the forest one day, but he’d always assumed that Natsu had accidentally ended up separated from his family or that something had happened to them and Natsu had escaped.  The idea that instead his friend had been abandoned left an angry fire in his gut, because who would leave a child as small as Natsu alone in a forest inhabited by all manner of creatures. It was also unsettling to realise that Igneel, who he had cursed for leaving Natsu behind on more than one occasion, might have been the best thing that had ever happened to the Dragon-slayer.

    Makarov hummed under his breath, weighing their options, aware that all of them were on a delicate edge right now, with Natsu in the centre of it all. He let his gaze pass over them, seeing the desire…the need to help the Dragon-slayer, proud of the bonds between them, of the family that they had made for themselves, and it made it all the more painful to look at Natsu. Finally, he nodded and took a deep breath, knowing that not everyone was going to be happy with his next words. “Gray, Happy and Mira.” They immediately turned to look at him, although the latter’s focus was still divided between him and the child in her arms. “I want the three of you to remain up here with Natsu. When he wakes up, try and get him to eat and drink something, and then see if he will play or talk with you. Just try and keep him distracted from where he was and what happened earlier if he tells you anything useful that is good but don’t push him for now.”

“But…” Gray hesitated, even as Mira nodded her agreement, glancing across at Lucy in confusion. He could understand why Mira was being assigned this task as Natsu was currently sleeping peacefully in her arms, and he had settled for her when the rest of them had been frozen. While Happy had made it clear over the last couple of days that he wasn’t going anywhere until Natsu had come back to him, but he wasn’t sure why he had been chosen. He would have thought that Lucy or Erza would have made a better choice, especially when Natsu had latched onto the former earlier when he had flinched away from the rest of them.

“I’m the one that told him where he was,” Lucy explained, sorrow colouring her voice as she saw the question in his eyes. “He’s going to associate me with the mention of wizards and magic, and until we get him settled around magic, he’s going to be wary of me.” _Something we can’t afford right now,_ she thought but didn’t say, because it didn’t make the situation any easier to bear and she glanced away with damp eyes, hating the idea that Natsu could be scared of her.

“You can come and help me,” Erza interjected quickly, seeing the hurt in Lucy’s eyes and glancing at Makarov as she guessed what he had in mind for her to do, as she had been the one to raise the question of what they were going to do about clothes and toys earlier that morning. She hated the idea of leaving Natsu’s side, but it was a necessary task, and it would keep Lucy distracted from what had happened earlier and seeing the confusion in her friend’s face she elaborated. “We’re going to need to get some things for him as we don’t know how long this situation is going to last, and unfortunately we don’t have really young children in the guild at the moment.”  Romeo was a little too big for his stuff to be of use, and besides, Erza wanted Natsu to have his own if only to combat the growing suspicion that his childhood had been worse than any of them had realised. “He needs close, and if we want to try and make him feel at home, we’ll need some toys and books to keep him entertained.” _Non-magical,_ she realised with dismay, relieved when Lucy nodded in understanding and even managed a wobbly smile before she had to say anything more.

“Just be careful what you say if anyone asks,” Makarov cautioned, although he knew that there was little to fear with the two of them handling it. Still, their guild and its members were well known in Magnolia, and he didn’t want to end up with people trying to snoop into guild business and stumbling across the current situation.

    Erza nodded, the grim expression telling him that she caught the hidden meaning in his words before she turned to look at Gray and Mira. “Take care of him,” she murmured, her voice soft as she stepped across to the latter, reaching out to gently ghost her fingers over Natsu’s messy hair, realising just how reluctant she was to leave him right now.

“Of course,” Gray said meeting her gaze squarely, silently promising that he wouldn’t let anything get near the Dragon-slayer, and Mira echoed his words, although she was still focused on her charge. Still, it was enough and satisfied Erza stepped back, gesturing for Lucy to follow her, and they both headed for the door, although they hesitated briefly in the doorway, glancing back at Natsu, before reluctantly disappearing from sight.

    Makarov lingered for a few more minutes, but he felt out of place in the awkward silence that had fallen, and eventually, he cleared his throat as he also drifted towards the door. “I’ll go and see if Levy and Freed have made any progress, or if they need any help.” He hoped that they had, but he knew that they would have sent for him already if that was the case and his shoulders slumped as he turned back to glance at his brats. It was hard to be in the same room as Natsu, knowing that the boy had no idea about how close they really were, and knowing that he was in pain, that he had been hurt, and yet having no way to help him even though he was their Guildmaster.

    It was times like this, as he watched Mira finally sitting down on the edge of the bed with Natsu, welcoming Happy as he crept to sit next to her, even as Gray settled on the opposite side, the three of them completely focused on their charge, that he felt that perhaps he wasn’t cut out for parenthood.

****

    It was nearly four hours later that Gray and Mira finally heard movement from the bed, followed by Happy softly calling them, having remained curled up next to his sleeping partner for just this occasion, and they exchanged worried glances before cautiously approaching the bed. They were hoping that Natsu would’ve largely forgotten the earlier incidence between his inadvertent nap and especially given his age, not sure what they were going to do if he pulled away from them as well. At first, they thought their hopes had been dashed as Natsu sat up, shrinking back slightly as he rubbed sleepily at his eyes, but when he blinked and focused on him, there was fear but not the same terror they had witnessed earlier. There was finally a spark of curiosity too as he glanced around the room, although it didn’t take long for his gaze to return to them.

“Hey there, Natsu,” Gray broke the quiet, moving to crouch down beside the bed so that he wasn’t towering over the boy in the bed, smiling as Natsu peered up at him with sleepy eyes, which didn’t mask his wariness as he closed the last bit of distance between them. “Do you remember me from before when we were in the woods? My name is Gray.” He had to fight back a snort of laughter as Natsu tilted his head, screwing his nose up in thought as he tried to remember. Natsu’s expression was adorable, and Gray filed it away for when his friend was back to normal, knowing that he was going to have piles of blackmail material. Pushing past that thought, he refocused on the child just in time to see Natsu nodding, warmed by the tentative smile that crept across Natsu’s face, growing a little when his gaze moved to the Exceed curled next to him and he tilted his head, a little furrow appearing between his eyes for a moment.

“Happy…?”

“Aye Sir!” Happy smiled, large eyes suspiciously damp as he nodded at Natsu, unable to hide his relief at not being forgotten again and Gray bit back a sigh of relief too. Although it was short-lived as Natsu’s eyes drifted to Mira and he turned wary once more. “This is my friend Mira,” Gray explained, reaching back and laying a hand on her arm to show that she wasn’t a threat, and Natsu nodded slowly, before abruptly turning a brilliant red. The Ice mage was confused before it dawned on him that Natsu must’ve remembered that Mira had been the one to hug and rock him to sleep.

“Are you feeling better now?” Mira asked softly, and she was bolder than Gray, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. She had also noticed the blush, but she didn’t comment on it before shooting a quick glare at Gray who rolled his eyes at her. Happy was blind to the exchange, because tiny fingers had just found their way into his fur, squeezing a little too hard to be comfortable, but he wasn’t going to complain because at least Natsu didn’t seem to be afraid of him right now.

“’m hungry,” Natsu admitted, his voice barely audible, as though he was afraid to admit it or afraid that they would hear it. Not that it mattered, because a moment later his stomach growled loudly, reminding them painfully of their Natsu, although the frightened noise that followed as Natsu shrank in on himself reminded them sharply that this wasn’t that Natsu. Gray chuckled, making sure to smile so that Natsu wouldn’t think he was in trouble or being mocked as he climbed to his feet, not missing the way the Dragon-slayer had tensed at the movement, or the way Happy winced as small fingers tightened in his fur.

“I think that must mean it’s time for dinner.” He doubted he would be able to forget the hopeful, doubting expression that greeted his words any time soon, and suddenly all the times that Natsu had caused a mess while eating or run up a massive bill when they were at a restaurant didn’t seem all that annoying. However, now wasn’t the time to deal with that and he could see Mira glancing at him, the warning clear in her eyes, and he tilted his head in acknowledgement before focusing on Natsu and adding cheerfully. “I’ll go and see what I can find for us to eat.” He made sure to emphasise the ‘us’ to make sure that Natsu knew that he was included, and the slight sparkle that appeared in olive eyes at his words made it worthwhile.

“Make sure it’s healthy!” Mira called as Gray made a beeline for the door, and he faltered, turning around to stick his tongue out at her before slipping out of the room, and she smiled as the silly action drew a giggle from their charge. She also knew that was exactly why Gray had done it, and she would have to tease him for it later once everything was sorted out. “Boys,” she muttered, shaking her head in faux irritation, although it was an act that lasted all of two seconds as it set Natsu off again, his laugh pealing across the room. It was a beautiful sound, and reassuring at the same time, as it meant that at least part of him knew how to be happy despite everything that had happened to him. Happy was also looking a little less lost as he glanced at Natsu, and she knew that they had needed that sound, that glimpse of their Natsu after the stress of the last couple of days.

“Mira-san?” She blinked, brought up short by both the quiet question and formal address, remembering a different, pink-haired child who’d stood in front of her with fire in his and defiance on his tongue. _So much has changed…_ When Natsu shifted uneasily, she realised that she had just been staring at him and hadn’t given any indication that she was listening, and she was quick to smile and nod, hoping that he would have the confidence to continue. He hesitated for a moment, before squirming again and seeming to find a shred of courage from somewhere, maybe from the paw that had reached out to gently nudge him, Happy not saying anything but just being there. “Can I go to the toilet?” It was there in his body language, the way he had hunched on himself again that he was expecting a refusal and she bit back a growl.

“Of course, sweetheart.” The nickname slipped out, and she saw him do a double-take, before he glanced around, reminding her that this Natsu didn’t remember where he was, and she slowly lifted her hand to point at the door on the other side of the room, before hesitating. “Do you need me or Happy to come with you?” He hadn’t been out of bed yet, but she hadn’t forgotten his injuries, and she was startled when he actually paused and thought about it, before shaking his head somewhat uncertainly. “All right then,” she gently drew the covers back with Happy’s help, noting how Natsu stiffened when her hands got too close but didn’t pull away, before watching eagle-eyed as he carefully slid off the bed. He winced slightly as he stood, and she was about to go to him when he managed to straighten before slowly and cautiously heading for the bedroom.

**

    Natsu still hadn’t returned when Gray returned, although Mira could hear enough movement from the bathroom to reassure her that the little Dragon-slayer was okay and Happy was perched on the end of the bed, ready to take off at top speed if they heard anything to suggest his partner wasn’t okay.

“Where is Natsu?” Was the first words out of Gray’s mouth, even as he got caught on the door, juggling a tray of food in one hand and a steaming mug of hot chocolate in the other. Mira smiled at the latter. It had always been Natsu’s favourite drink, and she had a feeling that was one of the few things that wouldn’t have changed even in this form.

“He’s in the bathroom,” she replied, seeing the worry in his eyes, moving across to rescue him before he could drop everything on the ground. Taking the tray, she nodded approvingly at the bowl of stew with bread and fruit, seeing her brother’s work in its arrangement and knowing that he must be remembering doing the same for Lisanna when she had been ill when she was younger.

“Did he say anything else?”

“Nothing apart from asking to go to the toilet,” Mira admitted with a sigh, deciding not to mention how hesitant he had been even about that at the moment in case Natsu overheard, and she managed a smile as she glanced at Gray. “He was giggling when you left though.” Gray huffed, but he looked pleased with the news as he settled on the edge of the bed, the Exceed moving over a little to give him room, gaze remaining locked on the bathroom door.

    A couple of minutes later, the bathroom door finally slid open, and Natsu emerged, peering around nervously and relaxing when he saw that it was just the three of them, and they filed that away for consideration later. “Come and eat Natsu,” Mira called when he lingered in the doorway, and he immediately perked up and hurried towards them as fast as his little legs, and battered body would allow, and she reached out to steady him as he clambered up onto the bed. Gray had immediately pushed the tray closer, and Natsu’s eyes went wide as he took in the food, the question clear as he glanced at them, even as his stomach growled loudly. “Eat up, that’s all for you,” Mira encouraged, noting that Gray had set aside a bowl for each of them on the next cabinet over. Apparently, that was all the encouragement that Natsu needed because he dug in, eating with a gusto that reminded them of their Natsu, although it was certainly a lot cuter when this Natsu was involved.

    It wasn’t long until the bowl and plate were completely empty. “You must’ve been hungry,” Gray commented as he took them, unprepared for the way that Natsu’s smile disappeared abruptly as he stared down at the empty plate. “What is it? What’s wrong Natsu?” He asked softly, gently setting the plate aside on the bedside table, before settling next to the boy, sharing a worried glance with Mira who had mirrored his movement and sat on the opposite side, while Happy took up a position by Natsu’s feet. “Can you tell us?” He asked, voice soft and encouraging, wary of setting Natsu off again, but also hoping that they might get a bit more information about Natsu’s past if they did.

“Mama didn’t give me any food when she left me…” The words tiptoed out, so quiet that they had to lean in to catch them, and Gray’s expression darkened at the reminder that Natsu had apparently been left in the woods. It sounded more and more like outright abandonment, and he had to clench his hands, holding back his magic that was threatening to lash out. _Why? Why would someone leave a child in the woods? Why would someone abandon Natsu?_ He didn’t understand, and he didn’t want to, and yet he had to so that he could help his friend.

“But, weren’t you just out for a walk in the woods?” Mira interjected, voice soft and soothing as she shot Gray a warning look, which he answered with an incredulous expression as it dawned on him a few seconds later that she was trying to smooth over things in order to get more information out of Natsu. Natsu tensed at her words, before shaking his head furiously, blinking as he did so as he clearly tried to fight back the tears, and they both thought he was going to shatter then and refuse to tell them anything.

    However, Natsu had always been determined to blast through people’s expectations, and apparently, little Natsu was the same because after a moment he lifted his head and peered up at them. They weren’t sure what he was looking for, but he must’ve found it because he gave a tiny nod before glancing at Happy, seeming to find it easier to stare at the Exceed as he gathered his courage.  “I was very bad.” His eyes were shimmering with tears, and there were trails where a couple had already escaped. It was his expression that hurt the most though because it was more serious and world-weary than any four-year-old should’ve been capable of looking, and it was evident that he was on a knifepoint. And it took all of Mira’s determination to make herself ask the question in both their minds.

“What did you do Natsu?”


	3. Chapter 3

 

_‘What did you do Natsu?’_

   Silence greeted Mira’s question, and as they watched, Natsu looked away. Head bowed as he glanced down at his hands which had fallen into his lap while they were talking, clenching them into tiny fists as he began to tremble. They half expected to see sparks dancing across his skin because while all magic was tied to the wielder’s emotions, Natsu’s had always been more intimately connected to however he was fell, although neither of them was looking forward to how he was going to react if that happened. However, there were no sparks or flames as the seconds ticked over into minutes, just a trembling child coming apart at the seams, and for a terrifying moment, Mira feared that she had pushed too far, even after she’d cautioned against doing just that. And she was just about to reach out and attempt to distract Natsu and change the topic, ignoring Gray’s frantic head shake as she reached out, only to freeze as the Dragon-slayer took a deep, shuddering breath before speaking up in a small voice although he still refused to look at any of them.

“I made a really big fire…”

      His voice was little more than a whisper, almost lost even though they had been perfectly quiet the moment he had started to speak. Still, there was no way either of them could miss the fear, or the weight of unshed tears in the small, trembling voice. Gray couldn’t bear it and praying that he wasn’t about to make things worse, he reached out, grasping one tiny fist, holding his breath at the flinch that greeted his touch. He kept his hold deliberately light, making sure that Natsu could pull free if he wanted to, but while he had flinched, he made no effort to escape. “I-I was running.” Instead, Natsu seemed to draw some kind of comfort from the contact, as he continued, voice shaking worse than ever. “Some of the bigger kids were chasing me…and throwing stuff at me, ‘cos of my m-magic.”

    Natsu’s voice cracked and broke as he admitted to having the one thing that clearly scared him most at the moment, hunching in on himself, tensing as though he was waiting for the pair of them to react in the same way. He eventually lifted his head, peeking up at them with wary eyes when instead of the yelling and harsh words he had been expecting, another hand reached out to gently take his free hand.

    Mira saw the surprise and the fear as she met his gaze, and her heart ached for him, even as she offered him an encouraging smile as he stared wide-eyed up at her. _Why aren’t you angry?_ She could almost hear the unspoken question, and she squeezed his hand, not quite trusting herself to speak at the moment, or that he would realise that the anger building in her chest wasn’t aimed at him but at the people who should have taken care of him.

“They were chasing you?” It was Happy who broke the silence, still curled at Natsu’s feet, not wanting to move too close and leave the child feeling surrounded. He made no effort to hide his horror, paws clenched at his side as Natsu glanced at him and then away again without replying.

“Natsu?” Gray prompted softly, not quite able to hide his anger, ice colouring his voice. He had always known that some people in Fiore didn’t like magic. Hell, he had even encountered some of them on his travels, but for someone to bully a child, especially one as young as Natsu was more than inexcusable and he had a feeling that they had barely scratched the surface of what these people had done to Natsu. _Natsu, just what else have you kept hidden from us?_ He thought, aching for the child in the bed, and for the Natsu that they were trying to bring back, because there was no way that he could have forgotten this, and yet he had never given them any hint that this lay beneath the surface. _Did you think we would judge you? That this would change anything?_ He almost didn’t want the answer to those questions, glad in a way that he was a long way from getting those answers at the moment.

“I-I tried to hide,” Natsu replied, trembling worse than ever as he added softly. “But they f-found m-me.” His eyes went blank for a moment as he was swept away by the memory, shivering as he recalled the terror of being surrounded by children several times his age and size. They had loomed over him, yelling, taunting, and watching him mocking eyes even as cruel hands had reached for him intending to hurt him. “One went to grab me, and I got scared….” He blinked, coming back to himself, but there was no relief in that because his voice was getting quieter and quieter, forcing them to lean closer to catch the words. Mira closed her eyes as Natsu trailed off, realising precisely what must have happened afterwards and a small noise from Gray’s direction told her that he’d also connected the dots, and they shared an anguished glance. Refocusing on Natsu, she realised that he had choked up, trembling so hard now that he couldn’t get the words out even if wanted to.

     She hesitated for a moment, highly aware that he was teetering on the edge again, and worried about pushing him over. However, she had a feeling that they needed to get past this point, to hear the story in its entirety if they were going to make progress and squeezing the far-too-small hand she was holding, she forced herself to ask. “Your magic flared up, didn’t it? It…” _It tried to protect you,_ was what she wanted to say, but she knew he wouldn’t see it that way at the moment. That he hadn’t seen it that way when it had happened.

    Natsu nodded, just the tiniest jerk of his head, still refusing to look at either of them and missing the look the pair shared as their suspicions were confirmed. They both knew just how easy it was for a child’s magic to flare up during periods of high emotion. The fights they’d had in the guild when they were younger were more than proof of that, and they’d all had more than their fair share of experience with it, both causing it and being on the receiving end of the damage from the other’s outbursts. However, the big difference here was that they’d been surrounded by people who either had magic or at least understood and accepted it and who were willing to cope with the outbursts as and when they had occurred.

Natsu hadn’t had that.

    His outburst had been caused by people fearing his magic, and it had undoubtedly just fed into that fear, a horrible cycle that he hadn’t been able to escape. That he hadn’t been able to stop. _And we knew nothing about it_ , she thought sadly, watching as the small boy’s trembling increased to the point where his entire boy was shaking as he added under his breath. “T-there was so much f-fire.” There was no way Mira could stay away any longer, unable to bear the sight of him barely holding himself together and do nothing, releasing his hand as she moved closer so that she could wrap her arms around him.

    She moved slowly, giving him time to escape or protest, but he did neither. Not fighting in the slightest as she drew him into a hug, letting him press into her side and hide his face against her, and Mira squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a tiny hand reach up to clutch at her dress. There was a desperation in the grasp, and fear, as though he wasn’t sure if he was allowed, but couldn’t resist doing it, as though to stop her disappearing. She knew that he didn’t understand why she had reached for hi or why she would want to comfort him. She could feel it in how tense he was, still waiting to be pushed away at any second, or for them to last. To treat him as those he was remembering had. Yet despite that, he was clinging to her, drawn to the offered comfort like a moth to a flame, and all she could do was hold him tight and hope that he realised that she was right where she wanted to be.

     Silence fell as she held him, and neither of them was ready to push him further at the moment and looking at him, it was doubtful that he could have given them any more answers anyway. So, they remained quiet, and as Mira felt tears beginning to soak into the front of her dress, she lifted her head, meeting Gray’s gaze and seeing the same pain, the same fury that was consuming her reflected in his eyes.

_What else did they do to him?_

_How much more did he have to endure?_

**

    As with his last time, Natsu didn’t last long before he drifted off to sleep in Mira’s arms, the combination of emotional exhaustion and his injuries sapping his energy. Even in sleep, he pressed against her, hiding in her embrace, sniffling and snuffling, tear tracks still drying on pale cheeks. Happy moved now, pressing close to the Dragon-slayer on the other side, ears and tail drooping as he studied his partner. He hadn’t been able to speak, for once not knowing what to say. He knew how to comfort his Natsu when he was down, or missing Igneel too much, but he wasn’t sure how to fix this or if there was anything, he could say that would make it easier For Natsu. All he could do was be here, and hope that between them all they could help his best friend.

“Natsu,” Mira murmured, wishing that she could appreciate the cuteness of the moment as she glanced down at him, slowly letting her fingers move to run through his hair. However, all she could see and hear was how broken he’d been as he told them what had happened, and she wondered if any of them were ready to deal with this. To handle what he had already told them, and whatever else he still had to tell them when he was able to get the words out. She wasn’t sure that she could bear to hear them, to know how much else they had missed growing up, and she found herself blinking back tears of her own as she looked across at Gray. The Ice Mage was still clinging to Natsu’s hand, dwarfing the Dragon-slayer’s hand between his own, a deep scowl darkening his expression, although his gaze which was locked on the sleeping child held a rare softness. “You should go and tell the Master what Natsu has just told us, I know it’s not much, but at least it’s something.”

     While it was true that they needed to let Makarov know, after all, they needed all the information, they could get their hands on at the moment, it was also a good excuse to get Gray out of the room. It wasn’t that she wanted to part him Natsu’s side, but she could feel his magic beginning to seep into the air around them, a chill that danced across her skin, and she knew that if he didn’t get the chance to vent that it could be bad for all of them. He had done an admirable job of keeping it under control so far, and she doubted that Natsu had picked up on it just yet. And she wanted to keep it that way if possible, not sure that he would be able to recognise that the anger and outburst were caused by what had been done to him, and not him.

    Gray opened his mouth to argue, but then he paused as he saw her gaze to drop to Natsu, realising where she was coming from. He wouldn’t be able to live with it if he lost his temper and scared Natsu, especially when he was finally starting to look a little more peaceful, a snuffle becoming a small snore as he slumped against Mira, lax in sleep. It didn’t make it any easier to leave though, and even as he rose to his feet, he hesitated, eyes locked on the sleeping child. “Mira… Do you think that his mother sent him away to protect him? Or to get rid of him?” He had a terrible, aching suspicion that it was the latter, even as he prayed that it was the former. Not so much so that he could forgive her for what she had done, and the mark her actions had left on Natsu, but because it would mean that at least Natsu hadn’t been abandoned.

“I’m not sure,” Mira admitted after a moment, knowing why he was asking and wishing that they knew the answer. She shook her head, shifting around until she had Natsu curled fully in her lap, beginning to rock him lightly just as she had earlier before continuing. “And I’m not sure that Natsu knows the answer to that question either, or that he would understand the difference anyway.” _Not that it really matters_ , she thought grimly, either way, the woman had left Natsu in the middle of nowhere without food or protection.

     Even if it had been done to protect him from the people who had scared him so badly, there were much better ways to protect a magical child. For one, it wasn’t as though guilds were hard to find, and most were more than willing to take in unwanted magical children or at the very least direct them to somewhere they would be safe. Wizards took care of their own after all. So leaving a child – leaving Natsu like that was unforgivable, even if the motives were not as bad as they imaging, and for a moment, her magic spilt into the air around them. _I don’t care if you were trying to protect him, I won’t forgive you for this,_ she thought towards the unknown woman before she took a deep breath and reined in her temper once more. Her gentle rocking hadn’t changed despite the brief loss of control, and as she calmed, she dipped her head to press a kiss to Natsu’s forehead, praying that their Natsu had forgotten all of this. As the thought that the Dragon-slayer and Lisanna – and her heart ached at the latter – had also been keeping this pain hidden, horrified her, and she could see a similar alarm in Happy’s expression.

“For her sake, it better be the former,” Gray muttered as he finally headed for the door. He was scowling, and ice sparkled around his feet as his control began to waver, and he sped up, disappearing from the room before he could lose control completely and scared Natsu. Mira almost smiled at his words, touched and amused by how protective the Ice mage was acting towards Natsu at the moment, their rivalry wholly forgotten for the time being. However, it was little more than a twitch of her lips because she agreed with what he had said, but she knew that would have to wait because right now it was more important to look after this Natsu and find a way to bring their Natsu back. The past would still be there once that was done, and they could deal with it later. Although that would be depended on Natsu being willing to allow them to help him with it, and as much as she hated to admit it, something told her that was unlikely.

   Still, that was a matter for a different time when things were calmer. For now, she shifted Natsu so that she could see his face, before using the skirt of her dress to wipe at the tear tracks, shushing him as he whimpered under his breath before settling again.

****

    Gray took a deep breath as he paused outside the library. The rest of the guild had pestered him for news as he’d made his way through the hall, and while he couldn’t begrudge them for their concern, he hated the fact that he hadn’t had any good news for them. He also couldn’t tell them what had happened, reluctant to share Natsu’s past more than necessary until the Dragon-slayer was in a position to decide for himself. As he stared at the library doors, he wondered if Natsu realised just how much the entire guild cared for him, as the concern, even from those that didn’t regularly spend time with the Dragon-slayer had been palpable, as had the disappointment at the lack of progress.

     Reaching for the door handle, he prayed that Levy and Freed had managed to find something or that they were at least close to a breakthrough. They all needed Natsu back to normal before anything worse happened, and he wasn’t sure how many more secrets being uncovered he could take before he exploded, or how the Dragon-slayer would react if they found out everything he had been keeping hidden for so long, without him having any say in the matter. Calming himself, he slipped in the library, closing the door firmly behind him. It sounded deafening in the quiet, and three heads instantly turned to look at him.

    Makarov, Levy and Freed were huddled around a large desk that was covered with scattered notes and towering piles of books, to the point where he could only just see them. However, it was clear from the way they looked at him and then away that they hadn’t made any real progress, and he felt his heart drop even as he stepped closer.

“Gray?” Makarov asked, rising from his seat, unable to hide his worry as he knew that it would’ve taken a lot to pry the Ice mage away from Natsu’s side at the moment. It was also impossible to miss the magic coming from the Ice Mage, and the fury in the dark eyes that had dulled a little in disappointment.

“We managed to get Natsu to tell us a little bit more about what happened to him,” Gray replied, moving across and sinking into a chair, hesitating for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and tried to work out just how much he wanted to say. He was reluctant to share Natsu’s secrets with people, especially those beyond Makarov and outside their team, but he knew that every little scrap of information could help Levy and Freed at the moment. That decided him. “From what he’s said, it’s clear that wherever he grew up was less than tolerant of those with magic.” _That was putting it mildly,_ he thought, unsurprised to see Makarov closing his eyes, a pained grimace on his face as he realised why Natsu had been so terrified to learn that he was in a wizard’s guild. But there was anger there too, the rare fury that they got to glimpse when someone truly threatened the old man’s ‘brats’, and his voice was a soft growl as he opened his eyes to look at Gray.

“Did he say anything else?”

_Too much and not enough,_ Gray though with a scowl, fighting to contain his temper, knowing that it wouldn’t help any of them right now.

“He told us that his mother had taken him away and left him in the middle of nowhere, alone and without food because he had been ‘very bad’.”

“Very bad?”

“There was an accident, it sounds like some of the other kids were bullying him because he had magic, and when threatened his magic flared to protect him, causing a big fire.” Gray grimaced, having a feeling that was probably an understatement because while Natsu was young, he still had a lot of magic and with that heightened by fear… He could easily imagine the ensuing inferno, and he shook his head. “We’re not sure what happened after that, or what else lead to her decision to send him away, and we didn’t want to push him too far, as he was very distressed.”

    Makarov nodded. If Natsu’s magic was already prone to flares, then they had to be careful about how far they pushed him. He was furious at the thought that someone had dared to teach Natsu to his magic as bad, and his heart ached for the child, knowing how terrified he must have been when that ‘hated’ magic had burst free. Briefly, his thoughts drifted to the numerous incidents that had occurred when Natsu had been growing up in the guild. There had certainly been enough of them, especially as fire magic and wooden fittings were not the best mix, but never once had Natsu shown any terror about what might happen to him over the damage, and there had been times when Makarov had questioned whether he’d felt any remorse over the destruction. What had happened to change the terrified child hidden upstairs into the wild, often over-confident brat that he’d brought home to Fairy Tail? Had it just been the time he’d spent with Igneel? And if so, how on Earthland were they to emulate a missing Dragon that had managed to heal Natsu, and become the centre of his world?

“We’ll have to keep an eye on him, and in particular watch out for his magic going wild if he gets too upset or scared,” he said finally, pushing his thoughts aside for the time being in order to focus on more pressing issues. It was clear that the Natsu upstairs had received little to no training for his magic, and he had probably been taught to suppress it more than anything if he was raised by people terrified of magic. That and the fact that he’d already experienced at least one emotional outburst since they’d brought him back, and that meant that his control would be limited at best, especially if he’d been trying to suppress it for some time. Meeting Gray’s eyes, he could see that the Ice Mage understood his concerns and that he would pass them onto Mira, although she had probably already figured it out.

"We're also going to need to test his magic," Levy added, joining the conversation for the first time as she glanced up from her notes. “Clearly he’s always been a fire mage, but we need to know if the botched spell affected his Dragon-slayer abilities too, as he received them after he was taken in by Igneel.” Gray blanched at her words, torn between horror at how Natsu would react if he’d lost the magic that his foster father had taught him, and panic at the thought of what could happen if the Natsu upstairs still had those abilities. A flare-up with Dragon-slayer abilities in the mix could be a catastrophe, and the fire that Natsu had caused before would be nothing compared to what he could do now, and while Natsu had control over that kind of magic, the child upstairs didn’t.

“If he’s still a Dragon-slayer then we’re going to have to try and convince him that magic isn’t bad so that we can give him some training, because if he loses control…”

     Makarov paled as the implications of what Gray was saying hit home, as he hadn’t considered that added danger.

“I’m reluctant to force him to use his magic just yet,” he said slowly, deep in thought before he sighed, shoulders slumping. “But I don’t see how else we can test his magic properly.” Unfortunately, this moved up their timeline, and it meant that they needed to deal with his quickly before anything did cause a flare up, because if anything happened to his friends, then Natsu would never be able to forgive himself.

"Gajeel is due back tomorrow," Levy murmured, and they glanced at her wondering what that had to do with anything, causing her to blush under their gazes. "Wouldn't he be able to tell if Natsu is still a Dragon-Slayer?" She asked, quickly turning the focus away, but also completely serious as she recalled how good the Iron Dragon-Slayer's senses were.

"It's worth a shot," Gray said at once, relieved that they wouldn't have to tackle the hurdle of using magic just yet, although he knew that it might still be necessary in the long run. Makarov shot him a knowing look but nodded in agreement, it was worth a try at least, and it meant that they didn’t need to worry about Natsu using magic for a little while longer.

"It might also be worth getting Gajeel to help us with this spell," Freed said, speaking up, at last, having listened quietly to the conversation as he carried on working. Now he looked up the others with a serious expression. "He's the only other true Dragon-Slayer we know, and it might be necessary to incorporate something related to that into the spell because Natsu's not an ordinary mage, and we want to make sure that whatever counter spell we use doesn’t affect that part of his magic."

“That’s a good point,” Levy agreed thoughtfully. “Even then I think that it’s going to be at least a week before we get anywhere, whatever spell was used was complicated even before it reacted with the others, and it’s going to take us a while to untangle it.” To Gray, it felt like a gut punch. _A week?_ It would only be seven days, but right now, it felt like a lifetime. After all, they’d already discovered so much in the space of a day, how much more would be uncovered in that time? Besides the longer that Natsu remained in his current form, the higher the chance there was of someone outside the guild learning what had happened. However, he swallowed his protests as he saw the worry and stress written over their faces, knowing that both Levy and Freed were trying their best.

 


End file.
